Put One Foot in Front of the Other
by rockmysocks456
Summary: Philip teaches Syrena to walk. Set directly after On Stranger Tides.
1. Baby Steps

_* Set directly after On Stranger Tides. **READ AND REVIEW.**_

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><p>Syrena had healed him. And brought him to shore. And now all she had to do was wait for him to wake up.<p>

It wasn't too long before his eyelids fluttered open and he sat up to see her bobbing up and down in the water, staring nervously at him. He sat up, felt his freshly healed side and looked into her dark, chocolate eyes.

"Thanks." Was all he could manage to say.

"All you had to do was ask." She replied with a warm smile.

Philip stumbled towards the water's edge and sat down with his feet in the water, so to be closer to Syrena. She truely was beautiful. But much different from the other mermaids. They had attacked him, ripping at his very flesh and trying to pull him beneath the dark abyss that was the ocean and drown him.

Syrena hadn't done that. In fact, she had saved him. Pushing him out of the way of the flaming wreckage which had been raining down from the burning lighthouse. At first he hadn't understood, he'd thought she was trying to hurt him. But she wasn't.

"Syrena," Philip began slowly, "I really don't mean to offend, but I have a question."

Syrena shifted nervously in the water, "Ask."

Philip breathed, "Are _all_ the other mermaids violent?"

Syrena stared at the water, swishing her hands around in it and answered quite honestly, "Yes."

"Do you..." Philip paused and then said, "Do you like them? The others I mean."

Syrena looked into his eyes and saw that he could never hurt her, that she could tell him anything and he would never say a word against her.

"No. They-They don't understand me."

Philip was surprised by this answer.

"What do you mean?" He asked her curiously.

Syrena sighed, moving her gaze to the splashing waters.

"They can't understand why I don't hurt humans. I just don't like it, and they didn't understand. They could never understand. You do." Syrena added the last part looking back up at him.

Philip blushed involuntarily. He tried his best to ignore his heated cheeks and pressed on, so to better understand what he could do to help her, "I see. But I have one other question, and I really don't want this to sound offensive but... When you go on land, you have legs, so do you turn into a human? Can you breathe when you're completely out of the water?"

"Yes, I can breathe. And I suppose I _would_ be considered human. Except..." Syrena looked down, almost looking embarassed, "I can't... walk."

Philip leaned towards her and put his hand gently under her chin so to lift it towards his own face, "Do you want to?"

She retreated slightly and said sadly, "I can't."

"I could teach you." Philip said, wanting so badly to help her do so if that's what she wanted, "I mean... If you want to."

Syrena thought a moment and then crawled slowly out of the water, pulling herself onto land she watched as her tail deteriorated to reveal two human legs. She managed to stand, Philip doing so also, and she looked at him expectantly.

Philip took both her hands in his, and took a step backwards, nodding for her to walk towards him.

Her leg trembled as she tried to step foward and she lost her balance and fell, Philip catching her gently.

"It's alright, it's alright. We'll just try again." He said patiently.

She smiled at him.


	2. Footsteps and Sunsets

_* Sorry for the wait! Here's the second and final chapter._

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><p>Phillip slept, his cheek against the moist sand, when he was awoken by an excited cry.<p>

"Phillip! Phillip, wake up, I'm doing it! _I'm doing it!_"

Phillip pushed himself up groggily and looked over towards the source of the sound. He sat up completely and gasped. Syrena was walking. And well, too. She looked just like a normal girl. But better.

Because she wasn't a normal girl, she was a mermaid. A mermaid with a heart.

"Syrena, you did it!" Phillip exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.

"I know!" She cried, walking over to him.

He smiled, wrapping one arm around her waist he brought up his other hand to caress her cheek.

"You're different, Syrena. You really are."

Syrena smiled, eyes gleaming with tears of happiness. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

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><p>The sun was just beginning to set as Syrena <em>walked<em> over to sit next to Phillip who was sitting in the sand by the water's edge, staring out into the glittering waters.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked curiously, settling down next to him.

"Everything." Phillip replied vaguely.

"Like what?" Syrena pressed.

"It's a funny world we live in, Syrena. I always figured I'd fall in love with a religious woman."

Syrena's heart sank and she made to take off into the ocean.

But Phillip grasped her hand gently.

"But you're better."

"I'm not even a real woman though, Phillip. How could you care about me?"

"You're real enough for me." He whispered and kissed her, "I love you."

"I love you too."


End file.
